What Does a Corpse Flower Smell Like?

From seed to smell, and back

1. Year 0Seed. A single leaf, the size and shape of a small tree, grows from it.
2. Each yearThe leaf grows up to 4.7 m (15 ft) tall and dies after about a year. The tuber rests for about four months, then makes another leaf. Wikipedia says this may continue for up to around seven years.
3. Years 5 to 10The tuber is big enough. In cultivation Wikipedia gives five to ten years before the first bloom, and “ten years from seed” in the life-cycle section. The tuber may weigh more than 90 kg (200 lb) by now.
4. 24 to 36 hoursThe bloom. Over 3 m (10 ft) tall, one night of smell, a crowd outside.
5. About 9 monthsPollinated female flowers ripen into bright red fruits. The spike then dies back, and the tuber is dormant for about a year before a new leaf starts the cycle again.
6. Next bloomTypically three to seven years later, in Wikipedia's life-cycle section. In its cultivation section: seven to ten years for some plants, two or three for others, and every other year at Bonn.

What does a corpse flower smell like?

Rotting flesh, on purpose. Wikipedia says the titan arum gives off “a powerful scent of rotting flesh” to attract pollinators. Analyses of the chemicals released by the spadix show a mix: dimethyl trisulfide (like Limburger cheese), dimethyl disulfide (garlic), trimethylamine (rotting fish), isovaleric acid (sweaty socks), benzyl alcohol (a sweet floral scent), phenol (like Chloraseptic) and indole (like feces).

How far away can you smell a corpse flower?

Wikipedia says the smell is detectable up to 800 m (0.50 mi) away. That is a distance, not a promise: the smell is released rhythmically and is strongest at night, and nobody at Wikipedia says which way the wind was blowing.

How often does a corpse flower bloom?

Not often, and the sources give ranges. In cultivation, Wikipedia says the plant generally needs five to ten years of vegetative growth before it blooms for the first time, and elsewhere says ten years from seed. After that it says later flowerings typically come at intervals of three to seven years, and that some plants may not bloom again for seven to ten years while others bloom every two or three. Bonn's plants flowered every other year under optimal conditions.

How long does a corpse flower bloom last?

Between 24 and 36 hours, according to Wikipedia. The smell is not constant over that time: its potency gradually increases from late evening until the middle of the night, then tapers off towards morning. That is why the Bloom Window above asks what time the flower started to open.

When does a corpse flower smell the worst?

In the middle of the night. Wikipedia says the potency of the smell gradually increases from late evening until the middle of the night, when carrion beetles and flesh flies are active as pollinators, then tapers off towards morning. During the bloom the tip of the spadix is roughly human body temperature, which helps the perfume volatilize.

Why does the corpse flower smell like rotting meat?

To get pollinated. The smell attracts carrion beetles and flesh flies, which feed on or lay their eggs in rotting meat. Wikipedia says the deep red color and the texture of the inflorescence contribute to the illusion that the spathe is a piece of meat, and that the heat helps convince the insects that a dead body is present.

Is the titan arum the same as the corpse flower?

Usually, but not always. Wikipedia's disambiguation page lists three things called corpse flower: carrion flowers in general, the titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum) and the genus Rafflesia, home of the largest single flower on Earth. The one that blooms in botanical gardens and gets a live stream is the titan arum.

Is the corpse flower the biggest flower in the world?

It depends on what you count as one flower. Wikipedia says Rafflesia arnoldii produces the largest individual flower on Earth, about 1 m (3 ft 3 in) across and up to 11 kg (24 lb). The titan arum has the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world, which is a cluster of many flowers on one stem. It is the largest thing that is not one flower.

Why is it called the titan arum?

Because the real name was too much for television. Wikipedia says “titan arum” is said to have been coined during the filming of David Attenborough's 1995 The Private Life of Plants, as the generic name Amorphophallus was considered to be “too rude” for television audiences. It comes from Ancient Greek for misshapen phallus. The common name corpse flower is a translation of the Indonesian bunga bangkai.

Where does the corpse flower grow in the wild?

Only on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Wikipedia says the species is endemic there, growing in openings in rainforests on limestone hills in the west, and that its range is decreasing with climate change and habitat loss. The ones you can visit grow in botanical gardens, where the first bloom in cultivation was in 1889.

Can I grow a corpse flower at home?

You can try, but the sources are not encouraging. Wikipedia says the plant remains difficult for amateurs to cultivate and is rarely grown by amateur gardeners because of challenging cultivation constraints. Roseville High School in California became the first school in the world to bring one to bloom, in 2011. We sell fictional deodorant, so we are no help with the tuber.

Where can I see a corpse flower bloom?

At a botanical garden near you, probably, but this site does not track blooms and we will not guess. Wikipedia says it has become common in the 21st century for five or more flowerings to occur in gardens around the world in a single year, so check the websites and social accounts of local botanical gardens, and whether they stream it. Then use the Bloom Window to decide when to go.